And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our

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1 And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost. 1 Nephi 3:187 VOLUME 94 INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI November-December 2017 NUMBER 6 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1:26 CHARITY - Apostle Duane Ely BIBLICAL CITIES WHERE CHRISTIANS LIVED: Colosse, Hierapolis and Laodicea - Apostle Don McIndoo FROM the ARCHIVES The Church of Christ Apostles GSSA God is the Giver of Good Gifts NEWS MY TESTIMONY - Priest Augustus Caesar Chuma ANNOUNCEMENTS INDEX to Volume 94 (2017)...139

2 THE APOSTLES of the CHURCH OF CHRIST Smith N. Brickhouse, 5713 Logan Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64136; ; Duane Ely, N. 30th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85050; ; Placido Koyoc Matu, 99h Calle 24 x 17y 19, Yobain, Yucatan, Mexico; # ; ap.matu2@gmail.com Mike McGhee, E. 6th Street N., Independence, Missouri 64056; ; mcgheeme@msn.com Brian McIndoo, N. 30th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85050; ; mcindoo@cox.net Donald E. McIndoo, N. 30th Street, Phoenix, Arizona Alvin J. Moser, N. 29th Place, Phoenix, Arizona 85050; ; ajmoser3@cox.net Jeffrey Oldham, 2609 SW Wintervalley Circle, Lee s Summit, MO 64081; ; jrocontact@gmail.com Roland L. Sarratt, E. 36th Terrace, Independence, Missouri 64055; ; r.sarratt@comcast.net Joel Yates, 2924 E. Rockwood Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85050; ; jyates2@yahoo.com GENERAL CHURCH OFFICERS SECRETARY, COUNCIL OF APOSTLES Apostle Duane Ely N. 30th Street, Phoenix, Arizona SECRETARY, GENERAL BISHOPRIC Elder Rick Olson 5629 Logan Road; Kansas City, Missouri GENERAL CHURCH SECRETARY Rhea Housknecht 400 E. Sea Avenue, Independence, MO GENERAL CHURCH RECORDER Elder Gordon McCann N. 30th Street; Phoenix, AZ BUSINESS MANAGER Elder Jim Case Church of Christ P.O. Box 472; Independence, Missouri ZION S ADVOCATE STAFF EDITOR Elder Gordon McCann N. 30th Street Phoenix, Arizona cofczaeditor@cox.net ASSOCIATE EDITORS Apostle Placido K. Matu Calle 24 #99H x 17 y 19 Yobain, Yucatan, Mexico Priest Bruce Haines 2111 S. Crenshaw Rd. Independence, MO PRODUCTION STAFF Harvey L. Seibel STATUS of PUBLISHED ARTICLES Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Church, nor the opinions of the editorial staff. Declarations and notices authorized by the General Conference reflect the practices and beliefs of the General Church. ZION S ADVOCATE IS To promote Jesus Christ as our only Saviour; To promote His Teachings and His Church, the Church of Christ; To be a voice of warning to His people; to be Zion s advocate. Visit us at: Cover Photo by Gordon McCann: Oregon Coast

3 ARTICLE Apostle Duane Ely And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works; Alma 5:41. Faith, hope and charity are often tied together in the scriptures. Behold, I will shew unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will shew unto them that faith, hope, and charity, bringeth unto me the fountain of all righteousness Ether 5:29. A fountain is the source or origin. Faith, hope and charity are the beginning of our spiritual lives. 1Faith the belief and trust in God and the truthfulness of His Word. Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen. We must believe without seeing. 2Hope looking forward with confidence to a better world and eternal life with God. 3Charity unselfish love for God and all of mankind. And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity I Corinthians 13:13. Faith and hope will end for the righteous who spend eternity with Christ. They will no longer need faith and hope because they will be dwelling with Christ in His kingdom. But if we have charity it will never end; it will be in our hearts for eternity. Charity is the guideline for how we should live our lives. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail; but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth for ever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with them Moroni 7:52. We must hold on to charity just like we hold on to the rod of iron which is the Word of God. Charity is referred to as -119-

4 the greatest of all so we can see how important it is to our spiritual lives. It is described as the pure love of Christ and we know the pure love that Christ has for all mankind. Charity will never fail and we will never fail if we have it in our hearts. This scripture clearly says that it will endure forever and if we possess it at the last day we will have eternal life. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing I Corinthians 13:1-3. This scripture makes it plain that without charity we are nothing. We can have faith, knowledge, feed the poor and have the gift of prophecy, but it profiteth us nothing if we don t have charity. Again the Lord is emphasizing the importance of charity. This next scripture lists fifteen characteristics of charity. It describes what it means to have true charity in our hearts. These fifteen characteristics tell us how to conduct our daily lives. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away I Corinthians 13:4-8. 1Suffereth long longsuffering, patient, enduring trials, slow to anger. 2Is kind mild mannered, gentle, tender, compassionate, good natured. 3Envieth not not jealous, don t covet what someone else has. 4Vaunteth not itself not boastful, don t brag about your accomplishments. 5Is not puffed up not proud, arrogant or haughty (we must be humble). 6Doth not behave itself unseemly not unbecoming, inappropriate or improper in appearance, speech or conduct. 7Seeketh not her own not selfish, is concerned about the welfare of others, puts others first. 8Is not easily provoked not easily angered, annoyed, aggravated or stirred up. 9Thinketh no evil don t have bad thoughts about others. 10 Rejoiceth not in iniquity Don t take pleasure in sin or unrighteousness (our sins or the sins of others). 11 Rejoiceth in the truth take delight in the truth of the Words of Christ (we have the truth of Jesus Christ in the Bible and the Book or Mormon). 12 Beareth all things to hold up under, endure patiently, not complain. 13 Believeth all things faith and trust in God and his Words (don t believe in -120-

5 false doctrines). 14 Hopeth all things looking forward with confidence to a better world and eternal life with God. 15 Endureth all things remain faithful, bear our trials, persevere, endure to the end. Now let s see what happens to the world without Christ s love: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold Matthew 24:12. We see many examples in the world today where love has been replaced with anger and hatred. Satan has lead away the hearts of many. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever I John 2: Our love must not be for the things of this world. The love of the world takes us away from the love of God and it will only lead us to spiritual destruction. Examples of Charity: 1Here we see an example of God the Father s love for us: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved John 3: God gave His Son to be crucified on the cross because of His great love for you and for me. God is giving the world an opportunity for eternal life. But the world must come unto Christ and follow all of His commandments if they want to obtain this eternal life. It takes more than just believing that Christ is the Son of God. 2Here is an example of Christ s love for us: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends John 15: Christ was willing to suffer and die on the cross to atone for our sins. This was because of His great love for us and for God the Father. Christ was also showing His obedience to God. 3Here is how man shows his love for God: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him John 14:21. We show our love for God by simply keeping His commandments, and we must keep all of His commandments. The majority of the world today no longer believe that they need to keep all of His commandments. They pick and choose which ones they want to obey and then make excuses for not following the rest of them. 4We must also love our enemies: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt -121-

6 love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5: And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots Luke 23: Christ has commanded us to love our enemies. This may sometimes be a challenge for us but Christ set the example for us to follow. This is something that we must continually work on because it is one of God s commandments. Through prayer and humility God will help us with this and everything else in our lives. Importance of Charity: And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves I Peter 4:8. Let all your things be done with charity I Corinthians 16:14. Again we are told to put charity above all things and that everything we do in life needs to be done with that pure love of Christ in our hearts. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets Matthew 22: There are many commandments in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon, but here Christ has summarized all of them into just two commandments, and they both revolve around love. First, we must love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind. We must love the Lord with our whole being. We must put Christ first in our lives, above all other things. Second, we must love our neighbor as ourselves. If we completely follow these two commandments we will never commit sin. We will never want to disappoint our Lord and sin against His commandments and we will never want to harm or sin against our fellow man. Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith, there must also be hope; and if there must be hope, there must also be charity; and except ye have charity, ye can in no wise be saved in the kingdom of God Moroni 10:15. Again faith, hope and charity are tied together, and again the Lord clearly tells us the importance of charity. If we want to have eternal life and be saved in the kingdom of God we must have charity. Each one of us is walking through life in this our time of probation. We all have our own individual trials, troubles, tribulation, affliction, pain, suffering and sorrow. These are all part of life. We will continually be tempted by Satan and he knows our weaknesses. But we can overcome all these things if we have charity in our hearts, put our complete faith and trust in God and endure to the end.

7 BIBLICAL CITIES WHERE CHRISTIANS LIVED Zion s Advocate Colosse Hierapolis and Laodicea Apostle Don McIndoo About one hundred miles upriver (east) from Ephesus, a small tributary flows into the Meander River. Along this tributary, the Lycus River, we find Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. These three cities are within fifteen miles of each other. Each of them had a Christian church during the first century. In 401 B.C. the army of the King of Persia had passed through this valley after having defeated the Babylonians. Later, the armies of Alexander the Great had dominated the area. Alexander had brought many Jews into the area who had been captives of the Babylonians. These three cities had once been dominated by Phrygians, pagan Gentiles. Now in the Christian era Romans ruled this area of Asia Minor The river valley in which these three cities lay was very fertile and was filled with flocks of sheep. These three cities were famous for the production of woolen cloth and clothing which was often dyed in colors ranging from scarlet to purple. Colosse was the smallest of the three, but it bore the name by which the purple dye, Colossian, was known. The three cities were destroyed in A.D. 17 by a great

8 earthquake. Hierapolis and Laodicea were rebuilt and continued their clothing industry. However, Colosse never regained its original size nor importance. In A.D. 60 it was destroyed again by another earthquake. After this it remained a small town. However, each of them was home to a Church of Christ. It is highly possible that the Apostle Paul had never visited any of these cities in the Lycus River valley. But during that time, from A.D. 52 to 55, when the apostle was living in Ephesus, his name and message became known throughout Asia Minor. In the book of Acts 19:10, 11 we read this: And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the saints in Colosse and the neighboring believers while he was imprisoned in Rome in A.D. 62. Several dedicated ministers from the Lycus River area had traveled all the way from Asia Minor to Rome to be with the apostle in this time of his great need. However, they also had a great need for Paul s help. False teachings had now become heresies growing within the Church of Christ. Since the apostle had been in Ephesus both Jews and evil Greeks had brought into the church these great heresies. One of these visiting ministers was a man named Epaphras. He would later carry the apostle s letter back to the church in Colosse. You can see how much the Apostle Paul thought of him by reading Paul s own words: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; (Colossians 1:7). When the Apostle Paul was living in Ephesus this man, Epaphras, was one of those who came there to learn the Gospel, and Epaphras had later helped establish the Church of Christ in these three cities located in the Lycus River valley. Let s read how the apostle spoke of him in Colossians 4:12, 13: Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. We can now see the primary purpose behind Paul s letter to Colosse. He needed to strengthen the faith of the people in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His teachings to man. Paul s words in Colossians 2:18-20 identify one of the false beliefs that had entered into the church: Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, A concept, such as the worship of angels, was probably the result of teaching by a person who was still suscepti

9 ble to Greek thoughts or philosophy. But now other Christians were perpetuating the false doctrine. For this reason the apostle s letter needs to emphasize the teachings of Jesus Christ. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:9-14) Then the apostle Paul writes of Christ s role in the creation of all things, and His importance to the redemption of mankind in Colossians 1: 23: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; In chapter two of his Colossian letter Apostle Paul continues in his desire to see these followers continue to grow in righteousness and faith in their lord, Jesus Christ. We shall read carefully verses 8-10: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: The Apostle Paul continues in chapter three of his letter to the Colossian church to emphasize the importance of believing in Jesus Christ. We are going to read verses 1 through 4: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. About the same time the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians and other cities in the Lycus River valley, the Apostle Peter wrote his first letter to believers in the Greek-dominated area of Asia that is known as Turkey. This includes those in the Lycus River valley. He was thought to be in Rome at the time. The theme of 1st Peter is the importance of believers following closely the teachings of Jesus Christ. Consider the following: Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be that ye have tasted -125-

10 that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (1 Peter2:1-4). The second book of Peter was written a few years later. Its theme is to warn the Christian communities of the growing heresies among them. Consider 2 Peter 2: 1, 2: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. The Gospel of John was written for all Christians some twenty to thirty years later than when the Apostle Paul wrote to Colosse. John gives more attention to the personal ministry of Christ than the other gospels. Some ancient sources tell us that while John was living in Ephesus he was asked by church leaders in Asia to do this because of the growing heresies within the churches of Asia. The book of Revelation was also written by the elderly Apostle John while he was held captive by Rome on the island of Patmos. We need to remember that these are not the thoughts and words of the apostle; rather, they are the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto his servant John (Revelation 1:1). In chapter three of Revelation we can read about the city of Laodicea of whom Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 4:13-15: For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. Now, in chapter three of Revelation we can read the words of Jesus Christ about Laodicea thirty years later: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: The Christians who lived in Laodicea two thousand years ago make a good model of many Christians who live in our day, so let s learn and remember this simple lesson. They had good industries in Laodicea, lots of jobs and good pay. The people were well off and had need of nothing. They were just like modern man in industrial nations. And because of their good state many of them became neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So, my brothers and sisters, let us each take care to remain hot ; to always be aware of the words of the Master and be obedient to the teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ

11 FROM the ARCHIVES The Church of Christ Apostles, taken in L to R- Leon A. Gould, E. Leon Skeet Yates, Thomas J. Jordon, Don W. Housknecht, Bert C. Flint, William F. Anderson, William A. Sheldon, Robert H. Jensen, Archie F. Bell, Thomas E. Barton, Clarence L. Wheaton, and Arthur M. Smith

12 GENERAL SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION The General Sunday School Association (GSSA) is providing portions of lessons for several age groups on a common topic. Please visit the Church of Christ s Audio Visual Aid (AVA) committee website at and click on the Resources tab to view all complete lessons and studies for children and adults. Contact Susan Porter at: porter_susan@sbcglobal.net, or 9 Market Street, Middleville, MI 49333, for more information. The GSSA has a private Facebook group for all members. If you would like to be added, contact Betsy Trudgen at trucooking@yahoo.com. This lesson is a good family or Sunday School for any age group. During this time of year many seem to forget that Jesus is the reason for the season, and people desire to receive worldly gifts. This is a good time to remind our loved ones the real reason for the gift giving season. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning Ether 5:12 But in the gift of his Son, hath God prepared a more excellent way, and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled; Moroni 10:13 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ. ACTIVITY: SKIT Create a back drop using a science display board (can be found at Dollar Tree stores or almost any office supply store) or use a large piece of cardboard and fold it so that it will stand on its own. Also, make gifts that go under the tree. Under the tree are things God wants us to have. Refer to the photos for ideas. Narrator: What do you have on your Christmas wish list? (Narrator calls on people in the skit to answer the question.) Narrator: What does God have on His wish list from us? (Narrator calls on people in the skit to answer the question.) Narrator: What are you putting under the tree for God this year? (Narrator calls on people in the skit to answer the question.) -128-

13 GENERAL SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION Zion s Advocate This activity was performed by the Trudgen family during a visit to the Akwesasne Local in Hogansburg, New York, with the purpose of reminding us of what gifts God wants from us. DISCUSS: God made a wish list of what he wants from us. He wrote it in His books: the Bible and Book of Mormon. He knows what we want before we ask for it. He wants us to visit the sick, visit the poor, give someone something to drink and to shine our light. He wants us to give our testimonies and to pray for others. Read Matthew 25: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. SUGGESTION: Make a t-chart to record discussion points. CONCLUSION: What is the best gift that God given to us? John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Gifts I want to receive Toys Skates Candy Bike Gifts God wants from me Visit the needy Help others Obey my parents Be joyful -129-

14 NEWS Collins Local Report The days are getting shorter have you noticed? Yes, our daylight hours are getting shorter, but I m referring to the days of this earth as we know it! There is turmoil everywhere you look. Obviously in all the world affairs there is trouble, greed, anger, meanness, lying, sadness and strife, to name only a few. But look closer how is it where you work? What about school? How are you getting along with your neighbors? Now look again, what do you see in parts of the church The Church of Christ? These ARE the last days as has been forecast. I hear the sermons calling us to repentance in one form or another every time one of the ministry stands behind the pulpit to speak to be a watchman to try to encourage us to look within ourselves and be corrected and humble before the Mighty God who wants so badly to draw us to Him. I ve got to tell you, I get discouraged, and though I know better than to let that into my heart it still sneaks in. The scriptures say when we see these things to lift up our heads and rejoice as our redemption draws near. The thing is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, IS coming whether I am prepared or not or whether YOU are ready either. I had a very brief experience once, and the thought or feeling swept over me that Jesus was coming, and that yucky, sick feeling hit me that I hadn t really believed deeply enough or repented strongly enough, and was found to be very afraid and, as the scripture says, found wanting. Every time I hear the parable of the Ten Virgins I think of this experience and see myself as one of the five foolish banging on the door, begging to come in. Please, brothers and sisters (for that is what we are!) don t let this happen to you. We have but a little time left to correct our lives, to repent, to forgive, to love, to WORSHIP, to remain the children of God. I find myself so unworthy, but you, I -130-

15 hold up to our Almighty Father in my feeble prayers, praying that you, my brothers and sisters, will be spared and gathered in to His blessed Kingdom in safety and peace. What more can I say? I ask your forgiveness where I have failed and, as I said at our last prayer service, I just know I can do better! I just hope there is time! Our brother, Larry Beem, has had another surgery on one of his feet and has had to have about half of his big toe removed due to a bad infection. He lost half of the big toe on his other foot earlier this year as well. He is getting along good and the toe is healing well. He has to take something called an infusion every day for three weeks that is to protect him from any further infection. His wife, Jewell, drives him to his appointments, and sometimes brother and sister Paul and Sharon Leikness are able to drive or maybe just go along for company. They live close by and are always available to help with whatever is needed. Sister Marjorie Routh has been doing what she always does working hard and got into some poison ivy and had quite a time with that! Then while helping her sister Helen Kidd she somehow twisted her knee and now is possibly going to have knee surgery. Marjorie works from early till late and prays as she goes! Surely the Lord will sustain her and get her through whatever comes her way now. Our brother Paul Leikness took quite a fall from his roof not too long ago. He had some hail damage on his roof and was checking it out when somehow he slipped and got off abruptly, landing on his back! He has a fractured vertebra and a bruised kidney. But that wasn t enough just a couple weeks ago he also took a little spill on his back porch and, of course, landed on his back again. He is fairly miserable (along with being humiliated). I m thinking we may have to wrap him in bubble wrap and confine him to his recliner! (Just kidding!) Vicky Pitts and her dad, Al Lind, are so faithful to come to church here at Collins, and also come to the extra get-togethers over at the Beem home when they can. I have to brag just a mite on our sweet Vicky and her ability and willingness to sing! She is just incredible, and when she sings you feel it because SHE feels it! What a blessing she is! Her dad had a run-in with a tack that had lodged in his house shoe and poked a hole in his big toe causing some serious damage and kept him home-bound and on some antibiotics much like our brother Larry Been was on. He is healed up for the most part and has been able to come to church again, but the medicine makes him so tired and sort of wobbly. Our sister Peachy (Yates) Mathis is doing well now. She had fallen and broken some ribs so was pretty miserable for a time, but is able to be out and about again. She often rides to church with Al and Vicky. Brother Randy Livingston and Sister Reneé have not been faring too well. Randy has diabetes and is taking in-home dialysis, and Reneé had some awful ailment that sent her to the doctor several times. She was not able to eat or even walk very well for several weeks. Allen and I went to visit them and Reneé requested administration. Brother Dale and Sister Shawna Herd are always to be counted on for whatever needs -131-

16 to be done. Dale took his tractor up to the church and pulled out a couple mean barberry bushes for us. We have had new siding put on the church and those onery bushes would have been a nuisance to the installers, plus we were considering replacing them anyway, so now we will get softer bushes to plant in their places since the work is finished. Our young sister Sheala Herd is working steady at a new convenience store in Osceola and often works on Sunday, but she does get to come to the Beem s for the different festivities they have, and has played her guitar and sung with all of us. She is my ol Sweetums please remember her in your prayers I sure do! We had a new person come to visit last Sunday! His name is Ray Hoard and he was a foster child of Al Lind. He was raised to know of both the Bible and Book of Mormon. He is a truck driver and rarely gets Sundays off but promised he d come again as soon as he can. His wife Brenda, who Shawna and I know, works Sundays for now and can t come to church yet either. Also Sister Elaine Gould and Sister Rebecca Burnett are in the Hermitage area, but right now are both employed on Sundays and can t attend church. However, Elaine is off evenings and able to ride to prayer meeting with us on Thursday evenings. Rebecca has been able to go with us a couple of times along with their mother. Ruth has joined us now and then as well. We enjoy our visits riding along together so much! Elaine s husband Brother Peter Gould was able to drive about twelve hours this past 4th of July weekend to come visit Elaine for a bit. Elaine and Rebecca are sisters and are helping care for their mother at her home in Hermitage. I believe this brings you up to date for now. I have a few quotes from several sermons I have jotted down to share with you. We re not called to EASY. There s not one of us that doesn t have a responsibility for the work of the gospel. I ve invested in You! (the Lord) Preach the gospel and if you have to use words! Just because you don t like it doesn t mean it doesn t apply to you! Faith: the willingness to believe something without proof. Do not delay any longer. The overcoming is the humbling. You need to fight the battle to have the victory! It s just you and the Lord on that day. Wash me up and down on the wash board of repentance. We need to be spiritual janitors. Be willing to be used. What our focus is on is where we will go. Am I willing to give away all my sins to know the Lord? (King Lamoni) Each of us defines ALL of us. We are not exempt, we are MORE responsible! This life is not where our reward is! Be strong be strong in the Lord. Truth engenders trust. Many worship at the Altar of Diversity Be ye steadfast and immovable! Your reporter, Czerna Kauffman -132-

17 NEWS We send our love and greetings to all our brothers and sisters. Since Conference we have been a busy little local. In April we had our annual business meeting; some of the results are Pastor: Elder David Rudd; Assistant Pastors: Elders Bick Brockman and Steve McGhee; Sunday School Superintendent: Priest Kevin McGhee; Assistant Sunday School Superintendent: Br. Pat Fisher. On May 28th There was a -133-

18 James confirmation special Sunday evening service: a song service with specials; approximately 46 attended. Many specials were given and appreciated by all. (Photos were taken by sr. Becky Olson.) Our local s Womens Department has been very active this Spring; a photo fund raiser was held for the Smiles of Philippines children. Sr. Anna McGhee took family photos and more than $800 was raised for this fund. A Mother/Daughter Banquet was held and was enjoyed by all. Also, a garage sale was held at Br. Steve and Sr. Melissa McGhee s home, and the Local raised $1,023 to go toward the Philippines Missionary Fund. On June 21st a son, Brady Kodak Hefner, was born to David and Sr. Courtney Hefner. Our Br. David and Sr. Becky Rudd became grandparents for the second time. This little guy lives in California with his parents and we can t wait to meet him! Libby confirmation. Sammi confirmation July 2nd we were greatly blessed to witness two baptisms at our local. James Parker McGhee, age 11, was baptized by his grandfather, Elder Steve McGhee. The laying on of hands

19 for confirmation was done by Br. Steve and assisted by Apostle Mike McGhee (James great Uncle). Attending were many family members: his mother - Sr. Lisa Clark Slager; and his sister, Leah; Father - Terry McGhee; Grandparents - Br. Steve and Sr. Melissa McGhee, Br. Ralph and Sr. Kathy Clark; aunts, uncles and cousins. Also baptized was Debbie Case. Elder Andy Brantner performed the baptism and the laying on of hands for confirmation. We happily welcome both our new brother and our new sister into the Church of Christ! August 6th we were blessed with two more baptisms at our local: Samantha Taylor and Liberty Granger. Sammi is sixteen years old and the daughter of Br. David and Sr. Dana Taylor. Liberty is fourteen years old and the daughter of Priest Rusty Granger and Wendy (Smith) Leighton-Floyd. Both were baptized by Br. Rusty. The Laying-on-of-Hands for the confirmations were done by Elder David Rudd with Elder Steve McGhee assisting. Many family and friends were in attendance; it was a beautiful service. With joy we welcome our two new little sisters into the Church of Christ! September 3rd we witnessed a beautiful baby blessing. Young Brady Hefner, the son of Sr. Courtney and David Hefner, was blessed by his grandfather Elder David Rudd, who was assisted by Apostle Jeff Oldham. Attending were many family members: grandparents Br. David and Sr. Becky Rudd, great grandmother Sr. Carol Fann; grandparents Br. Virgil and Sr. Grace Rudd; and many other family members and friends. We continue to ask for prayers for Sr. Dana Taylor, Apostle Buzz Brickhouse, Sr. June Sarratt, Br. Eric and Sr. Sheila Sarratt, Br. Mike Smith, Sr. Kathy Clark and Br. Ralph Clark. Baby Blessing of Hefner baby -135-

20 NEWS Greetings from your Warrensburg Local! We have been extremely blessed with our little local and our growing congregation so much so that we have some big news! We are in the beginning stages of building an addition which will include a new sanctuary, bathrooms, and a walkout basement. We have already begun the process by cutting down and clearing out a bunch of trees on the lot. The next steps will be to start the digging for the basement. Already we have seen tremendous blessings with this project. The tree clearing day went as smooth as it could have; we ve received donations and have found good and generous subcontractors. Scott Adams is heading this project along with Tommy and Luke Wiley, and all have done an exceptional job putting together the plan and gathering bids for this project. Donald Gill, our minister, and the rest of the members have been active in all of the deci

21 sion-making and bringing this project to life. We would not be able to do this without the guidance of our Lord and Savior. He brought our congregation together and we have a purpose to serve Him, and it is with Him that we are able to have successfully grown our congregation to the point where we need more room to worship Him! This is such a huge blessing for our little local to be able to expand to add room for more visitors and, hopefully, new members! Furthermore, the youth in the church have also begun the Warrensburg Youth Group which they call WYG (wig) for short, and is led by Kathryn Gill. WYG has regular meetings and has performed charitable actions in the community. We are so proud of our youth and love to attend their events to see how Christ moves in them. Their incredible effort on the tree clearing day was nothing short of amazing! These kids didn t argue or complain about anything and helped continuously until the job was done. We couldn t be more proud of them. We ask that our brothers and sisters continue to pray for us and our project moving forward. We cannot wait to share this gift with everyone. God bless you

22 TESTIMONY My Testimony It was on October 9th, 2016, at 3:35 a.m. when I saw a dream on the sky. A very small window, the size of a manhole cover, being opened very slowly by a white man, and the sky was very bright as if it was day time. Shortly I woke up and found myself in my bed and I started praying. Again after Apostle Brian McIndoo and Elder Aadam Yates left my church for the Sunday service on February 5th, 2017, and after one week on February 12th, 2017, God showed me in a dream many people sitting in a permanent church singing. As I entered in the church they started shouting that, We are tired, preach for us, we were waiting for you. I had a Kiswahili Bible and I told some men to let me go and bring a Kisii Bible to use. As I started to go out to bring a Kisii Bible, they started calling me, shouting, Where are you going? We are tired. After that I woke up and found myself in my bed. So I sat on my bed and started praying to God. I didn t even tell my wife about the dream. I was very much happy to get a phone call from Moses telling me that I am called in the ministry (Note: This calling came during a priesthood meeting held in Kisii with the Kenya ministry and missionaries; clarification by Apostle B. McIndoo). Pray for me so that God can guide me in His work and fill me with the Holy Spirit. Priest Augustus Caesar Chuma NOTICES REUNIONS HONDURAS JANUARY 11-14, 2018: Youth Camp Elder Ronnie Gill rongill@la-comarca.org Elder Thomas Gill thomasgill@la-comarca.org CCEG The Church of Christ Group is a church member-only (and spouses, even if not a member) communication group existing to keep the general church membership informed about prayer needs, blessings, and more. It does not have officially elected management(member volunteer only), although it regularly functions for the Church of Christ for missionary news and various announcements, like state rallies and reunions. If you would like to become a member of CCEG, or if you are an existing member and are not currently receiving s as expected, please the CCEG manager at: RHEA HOUSKNECHT CCEG Manager ccegmgr@icloud.com THE HOPE of ZION The Board of Publications has made available a copy of the report from the Committee to Study Zion entitled, The Hope of Zion. Contact Elder Robert Oldham at rwoldham1@sbcglobal.net, or any member of the Board. AVA WEBSITE On the Church of Christ AVAweb site you will be able to access media such as archived sermons in video and audio formats, past issues of Zion s Advocate, searchable Bible and Book of Mormon studies and Sunday School lessons. Real time live streamed sermons are broadcast every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. central time, which can also be accessed from the site. We invite you to take a look and discover what a useful tool this site can be in expanding your knowledge and faith. The address is CORRESPONDENCE COMMITTEE The General Church Correspondence Committee would like to extend the opportunity for any who wish to communicate through written correspondence to contact one of the following three committee members: DEBBIE VOGEL (Chairman) 403 w. Colonel Drive Independence, MO SUE PORTER 9 Market St. Middleville, MI PAT MCCANN N. 30th St. Phoenix, AZ PRIESTHOOD VISITATION If you or someone you know (member or non-member) would like to be visited by a member of the Priesthood of the Church of Christ, please call or write to the Council of Apostles at Church Headquarters in Independence. The phone numbers and addresses are listed on the inside front cover

23 2016 INDEX Title/Author No. Pg. Title/Author No. Pg. ARTICLES Charity - Apostle Duane Ely Frailties of Men, The - Apostle Joel Yates Hope of the Saints, The, Part 1 - Elder Ronnie Gill Hope of the Saints, The, Part 2 - Elder Ronnie Gill Unspeakable Gift, The - Apostle Roland Sarratt BIBLICAL CITIES WHERE CHRISTIANS LIVED Colosse, Hierapolis and Laodicea - Apostle Don McIndoo Ephesus - Apostle Don McIndoo Philippi - Apostle Don McIndoo BOOK TALK Book of Mormon Companion, A - Apostle Don McIndoo Zion s Advocate FROM THE ARCHIVES 1950 Wisconsin State Reunion Church of Christ Apostles, The Phoenix Local Vacation Church School Return, The GENERAL SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION Bradley Local Report God is the Giver of Good Gifts Jesus Begins His Ministry: The Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes - Heidi Jones Love & Gentleness OBITUARIES Robert Charles Case (9/12/1924-3/28/2017) Meredyth Irene (Willard) Malone ( ) POETRY Mary s Words: More Than Praise - Sr. Kathy Cloyd Time is Drawing Nigh, The - Janeen Addie REPORTS 2015 Church of Christ Youth Camp - Margaret Kerosi Teen Camp - Liza Hedrick Missouri Reunion - Deb Haines Solemn Assembly & Conference of the Church of Christ - Deb Haines Honduras Youth Camp - Elder Ronnie Gill We Will Stand for Jesus - Omega Mae Alameda TESTIMONY Don t Step There - Gary Housknecht Dream, A - Hellen Carroll My Testimony - Priest Augustus Caesar Chuma Philippines Testimonies

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